When it comes to budgeting, however, micromanagement should be embraced (don’t let anyone tell you otherwise).

Any time you are able to not only save yourself some money, but also reduce your negative impact on the planet, that’s a beautiful thing.

One of the areas you can do this with is your household electricity consumption.

I decided to do a little experiment around my house with all of my electricity powered devices and share my findings on their electricity usage with you. My main goal was to find out how much electricity I was wasting and cut that down as much as possible.

How Much Does Electricity Cost for Common Household Devices?

For a long time, I have had a pretty general idea of what my electricity bill has been.

Outside of July and August, when the electricity cost of air conditioning inflates my bill (muggy Michigan summers), a typical month for me is right around $50.

I’ve done a lot of things to keep my electricity cost down, which include:

• every bulb in the house is a CFL or LED.
• I unplug devices I rarely use.
• I keep lights turned off when I’m not in the room and during daylight hours.
• I turn my desktop computer off when I’m not using it.

But I’ve always thought that I could do more.

The problem was that I had no idea how much electricity cost each household device was generating.

I had some nagging questions that I wanted answers for:

1. does it cost anything to leave a phone charger plugged in?
2. what about a laptop charger?
3. how much electricity does my desktop computer use in sleep mode vs. awake mode vs. off?
4. how much electricity does my DVR use in sleep mode vs. awake vs. off?
5. is my TV sucking up energy when turned off?
6. which of my appliances are using standby power?

I found answers to all of these questions and a few added surprises…

Electricity Monitoring Device Use

In order to do this test, you will need an electricity monitoring device. There is no getting around that.

Hopefully you can learn from my tests, but your personal devices may vary. In other words, there is little universality in electric use. If you want exact numbers for your situation, you will need to get an electricity monitoring device of your own.

There are two inexpensive and reputable devices on the market that both have great reviews:

Belkin Energy Conserve Electricity Monitor: $29.99 (qualifies for free super saver shipping). The Belkin measures watts, cost per month and year, and CO2 emissions per month and year.

P3 International Kill-A-Watt Electricity Usage Monitor: $19.99 (qualifies for free super saver shipping). Kill-A-Watt calculates volt, watt, amp, hz, kwh, and expenses per day, week, month, and year.

I opted for the Belkin because the company is more familiar to me, the device seemed very simplistic, and it calculates CO2 emissions (the P3 does not), in addition to electricity cost. But either should get you what you’re looking for.

Electricity Use Per Device Test Results

The following data is the result of my tests. Note that I used $0.15 per kWh for my calculations. Your cost may vary per your utility company (the Belkin allows you to customize).

Also note that there are, in many cases, multiple tests for each device based on how it may be used (i.e. laptop fully charged vs. charging).

Data shown is in the format of: device tested: watts drawn, $ to power per year, CO2 emissions per year (in lbs.), and lessons specific to each. I did not test things that I used very randomly and for a specific purpose (i.e. an engaged blender or toaster), rather my goal was to find where electricity was being wasted by keeping things plugged in.

• CFL bulb lamp, off (40W):     0W    $0.00    0 lbs. – there is no need to unplug lamps.
• CFL bulb lamp, on (40W):    41.8W    $54.17    442 lbs. -  I am surprised even CFL’s use this much electricity. Turn your lights off when you don’t need them on.
• Macbook, charger-only:     0W    $0.00    0 lbs. – this is not universal on chargers. Gave me a sigh of relief though, b/c I always leave it plugged in.
• Macbook, charging engaged:    60w   $77.76    650 lbs.
• Macbook, charging closed:    44.7W    $57.93    473 lbs. – not much difference between engaged and closed, when charging.
• Macbook fully charged, closed:    0W   $0.00    0 lbs. – good to know that the adapter shuts down when a Mac is fully charged.
• Macbook fully charged, engaged:    28W   $36.29.00    144 lbs. – not as low as expected.
• Acer laptop, charger-only:    1.1W    $1.43    11.6 lbs. – it’s not much to keep it plugged in, but it’s still wasteful.
• Acer laptop, charging engaged:    43W    $55.73    440 lbs.
• Acer laptop, charging closed:    17W    $22.03    190 lbs.
• Acer laptop, fully charged, engaged:    24W    $31.10    240 lbs.
• Samsung smartphone, charger-only:    0W    $0.00    0 lbs.
• Samsung smartphone charging:    6W    $7.78    57 lbs. – this is much cheaper than expected.
• Samsung smartphone charged:    1.7W    $2.20    17.2 lbs. – also much cheaper than expected.
• 0.5W LED nightlight:    0W    $0.00    0 lbs. – my LED nightlight for my bathroom uses so little electricity, it doesn’t register on the energy monitor.
• Black & Decker toaster, not engaged:    0W    $0.00    0 lbs.
• KitchenAid Blender, not engaged:    1.5W    $1.94    16.8 lbs. – surprising in that my toaster does not use any energy when plugged in. Will keep unplugged. $1.94/yr. saved.
• Vizio 42″ LCD TV, off:      0W    $0.00    0 lbs. – my TV uses so little energy when turned off, it does not register. Surprising, and I’m thankful.
• Vizio 42″ LCD TV, on:    230W    $298.08    2425 lbs. – wow, talk about an energy hog.
• Comcast DVR, on:    32.4W    $41.99    345 lbs.
• Comcast DVR, off:    31.2W    $40.44    330 lbs. – this was the surprise of this test. A Motorola Comcast DVR uses as much energy when turned off as it does on.
• Sony BluRay, off :   1W    $1.30    10.7 lbs.
• Sony BluRay, on:    16W    $20.74    172 lbs. – I had been leaving this on b/c it is so slow to start up. Not anymore. $20/yr. saved.
• Super Nintendo, off:    0.7W    $0.91    7.4 lbs. – awesome that this is the only gaming system listed, no?
• Super Nintendo, on:    6.6W    $8.55    71 lbs. – wow, an energy sipper.
• Printer, off:    2.6W    $3.37    27.1 lbs. – another surprise. I will be unplugging. $3.37/yr. saved.
• Printer, on, not in use:    5.9W    $7.65    63 lbs.
• Cordless phone base, w/phone:    1.6W    $2.07    17.2 lbs. – very cheap!
• Cordless phone base, w/o phone:    0.9W    $1.17    10.2 lbs. – very cheap!
• Paper Shredder, plugged in, off:    0W    $0.00    0 lbs.
• Acer Desktop Computer, off:    1.7W    $2.20    18.6 lbs.
• Acer Desktop computer, on, awake:    45W    $58.32    475 lbs.
• Acer desktop computer, on, sleep:    3.3W    $4.28    35.5 lbs. – I can’t believe how cheap my desktop on while asleep. Only $2 per year vs. off!
• Acer 20″ LCD monitor, off:    0W    $0.00    0 lbs.
• Acer 20″ LCD monitor on, awake:    23.5    $30.46    250 lbs.
• Acer 20″ LCD monitor on, sleep:    0W    $0.00    0 lbs. – just as the TV, a big surprise.
• Ooma VOIP device, on:    6.6W    $8.55    70 lbs.
• Netgear wireless router/modem, on:    7.8W    $10.11    83.6 lbs.
• LED Alarm Clock:    1.6W    $2.07    16.8 lbs. – cheap! Might as well put the phone away unless you want to declutter.
• Refrigerator, closed (no light) and not running:    0W    $0.00    0 lbs.
• Refrigerator, open with light on, not running:    41.7W    $54.75    442 lbs. – that little light in the fridge is not cheap.
• Refrigerator, closed (no light), running:    155W    $206.00    1808 lbs. – this highlights the importance of a good fridge and keeping the fridge door shut.

Here are some general learnings on electricity costs from the above results:

• No need to unplug lamps, but even CFL’s are not cheap to keep on. Turn off the lights when you leave the room! Despite their improvements, light bulbs are still one of the biggest electricity vampires. LED’s are a beautiful thing.
• Change the setting in your computer to have a 3 or 5 minute sleep mode delay versus 30 minutes or never. This could save you dozens of $’s per year.
• If you don’t have your DVR set to record shows, unplug it. It could save you $40+ per year vs. just turning it off!
• Some chargers left plugged in drain energy, but most don’t. If they do, it is not much. Better to not be wasteful though.
• I was not expecting to find my blender using energy when not in use. You never know which appliances are vampires. Better to test and have definitive answers than always wonder and feel doubt or even guilt.
• DVR’s are never really “off”. My DVR essentially adds another $4 to my cost of cable every month.
• Perhaps the most important lesson of all: electricity is still incredibly cheap and incredibly polluting. To think that just $1 of electricity costs equates to about 7.5 lbs. of CO2 emissions is disgusting. If there is any hope for this planet, it lies with solar and other renewable energies.

I estimate that the changes I will make from these learning’s will save me about $75 per year on electricity costs at the $0.15 kWh price. That’s more than 10% of my entire electric bill. As the cost of electricity increases (and it will) that $ amount will only go up every year. I more than made my $30 investment in the Belkin energy monitor back in just the first year, and after I let all of my friends and family borrow it, I can sell it.

If this topic interests you, check out my entire series on eco-friendly cost savings.

Electricity Cost Discussion:

• Which of these findings surprise you?
• How much is your monthly electricity bill, on average?
• Have you run an experiment like this? What were your findings?

Related Posts:

• 2012 Energy Tax Credit
• Electric & Hybrid Tax Credits by State
• The Cost of Bottled Water vs. Tap
• How to Use Watzon to Cut your Energy Use

How Much Electricity Costs to Power Household Devices & How to Cut your Usage is copyrighted by 20somethingfinance.com without consent to republish.

If you were planning a modest home improvement update that would save you future energy costs and reduce your carbon footprint in the hopes that it would be partially funded by a home energy tax credit from the IRS, you may be disappointed in 2012.

There still are energy tax credits in 2012, but they have been significantly reduced. With the 2011 energy tax credit, you could claim a 10% tax credit on some very common money-saving home updates, which included:

• HVAC: Air conditioning (AC) and furnaces
• Windows and doors
• Roofs
• Water heaters
• Insulation
• Biomass stoves

Unfortunately, all of these tax credits disappear in 2012 – probably due to the inability to Congress to agree on any sort of spending plan. It wasn’t long ago (2009-2010) that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act offered up fantastic 30% tax credits up to $1,500. Now that we have “recovered”, that is gone.

30% Energy Tax Credits in 2012

What you are left with for energy tax credits in 2012 are fairly generous 30% tax credits on huge energy installation projects that are geared towards environmental die-hards:

• geothermal heat pumps (no upper limit, both principal residences & second homes apply)
• solar energy systems (no upper limit, both principal residences & second homes apply)
• small wind turbines (no upper limit, both principal residences & second homes apply)
• fuel cells (up to $500 per .5 kW of power capacity. Principal residences only)

For more info, check out the Energy Star Energy Tax Credit site.

Related Posts:

• 2012 Tax Rate Brackets
• The Child Tax Credit
• 2012 IRS 401K Contribution Limits

2012 Energy Tax Credits Reduced is copyrighted by 20somethingfinance.com without consent to republish.

It wasn’t always this way. For millions of years, humans lived in harmony with the planet – only using the renewable resources needed to survive. No waste. No ills on the environment.

Not us. Our “advanced” modern family typically boasts:

- a 2,000 sq. ft. home  made with tons of non-renewable materials

- two cars and a recreational vehicle or two

- enough clothes to suit the neighborhood

- food packaged in multiple layers of non-biodegradable plastic or aluminum

- the average U.S. CO2 emissions per person, is 20 metric tons, compared to a world average of four tons

- TV’s, phones, computers, stereos, appliances, light fixtures, furniture – all replaced every few years…

This is all stuff that is not going to disappear or biodegrade. Advertising, peers, and our governments encourage this wastefulness from the moment we are born. Our entire economy depends on it. But infinite use of finite resources is not a sustainable economic, societal, or planetary model. Tens of billions of wasteful, consumer-driven humans perpetually living the same as Americans do for generation after generation equals a catastrophic collapse in the not too distant future.

Does anyone doubt that we’ve taken this consumer thing way too far? If so, do a Google image search for Pacific trash vortex (there is a growing ring of trash the size of Alaska in the Pacific Ocean as many countries just dump their trash in the water), watch “The Story of Stuff“, take a look at some of these pictures, or head on down to your nearest friendly local landfill for your next Sunday picnic.

Now that I’ve thoroughly depressed you and myself, lets move on to something a bit more constructive…

Consumerist Anonymous

I’ve always had strong inclinations to doing what’s right for the environment and have even dedicated an entire section of the site to cost savings that also help diminish your impact on the environment. However, I’ve never pieced it all together and made it a way of life. I’ve fallen off the wagon many times.

So I decided to express my heartfelt regret over past purchasing habits via a virtual apology/counseling session with Mother Earth and go public with it. It serves as the first step of my recovery as a mindless consumer. This is not tongue-in-cheek. These are real sentiments. And since this is a safe place. I’d encourage you to share your thoughts with the group as well. Who knows, you might just save some serious cash as a side effect.

My Chat with Mother Earth:

• Me: Mother Earth, please forgive me. I’m a recovering consumer. I’ve spent tens, hundreds (if you include my home) of thousands of dollars on stuff. Stuff that will all likely end up in a landfill or in the oceans somewhere. And despite all the hurt it has caused others (namely wildlife, you, and future generations of humans), I’ve continued to do so. I’m sorry. It’s inexcusable. It’s senseless. But I’m trying to get better. I want to get better.
• Mother Earth: My son, taking responsibility and desire to change is the first step towards the healing process. Have you tried quitting cold (non-refrigerated) turkey?
• Me: I don’t even think that is possible anymore. I wouldn’t know where to get food, clean water, shelter, or do anything without modern technologies.
• Mother Earth: What about moving to one of those remote islands or in the middle of the Amazon to try to infiltrate with one of the last remaining tribes that live in harmony with me before they are overtaken by your tribe of consumers?
• Me: I don’t think they’d take me. I don’t know how to hunt, build a shelter, cook from scratch, or even start a fire without modern tools. And I hate mosquitoes.
• Mother Earth: Yeah, you are pretty useless… err… I mean, you’re probably right…. hmm…. well, why don’t we start by discussing the things you CAN change in the short term to wean yourself off of this consumer addiction.
• Me: OK.
• Mother Earth: What makes you happy?
• Me: Well, I recently posted a list of the top 10 things money can buy that made me happy.
• Mother Earth: I see. Well, I don’t see ‘stuff’ or ‘toys’ on that list. I see food, drink, and shelter – but those are necessary for survival. Even tribal folks need those things.
• Me: Yeah, you’re right. Even though I’m addicted to consuming things… that consumption doesn’t really make me any happier over the long term. The short-term thrill wears out quickly.
• Mother Earth: Stuff doesn’t lead to your happiness. That’s an important insight. What about those necessary things like food and shelter? How can you consume less in those areas?
• Me: Well, I suppose I could put in a garden and start growing more of my own food. I could raise some chickens (my city just started allowing that). I could buy a share in a CSA – they grow and box up locally grown veggies and fruits that I can pick up. I could even start a produce share in my neighborhood. And I should also be more careful to buy only food that comes in renewable, recycled, or biodegradable packaging.
• Mother Earth: And let’s not forget buying stuff in season. A lot of food out of season travels thousands of miles to get to your local grocery store.
• Me: Yeah. I guess I could go without bananas.
• Mother Earth: Yes, you could. And drink?
• Me: Well, I mostly drink tap water. Tap water is cheaper than bottled water by a factor of over 2,000X, so that’s a no-brainer. And I buy beer from local microbreweries and wine made in my state.
• Mother Earth: That’s a start. You could also homebrew more and make your own wine to cut down on transportation and material waste. Or, just don’t drink at all. We’ll save that discussion for another day. Now that we have food covered, let’s chat about shelter.
• Me: I live in an older home right now. It’s ‘only’ 1,000 sq. ft. with a basement. Small by U.S. standards, but much more space than I really need, especially since I have been selling stuff on craigslist like mad. But I’m thinking some day I want to build move into a tiny home that is much less maintenance and much more energy efficient.
• Mother Earth: Good. If you do build, just make sure you used reclaimed materials to do so. And don’t add to urban sprawl. Find an old urban lot.
• Me: I will.
• Mother Earth: The only other necessity I can think of is clothing.
• Me: Yeah. That’s a problem. I’ve bought way more than I could ever wear. And the stuff I do wear usually wears out rather quickly. I have been donating a lot of it lately, so at least there’s that.
• Mother Earth: I’d also recommend opting for durable, locally made fabrics, when possible. It’s better to have a few high quality clothes than many cheaply made pieces flown in from China. And don’t forget to repair or re-purpose things when possible. That pair of jeans you have with the hole in the crotch can be fixed.
• Me: Yeah, I was about to throw ‘ole blue’ away. Good call.
• Mother Earth: What else is left?
• Me: It’s mostly just “stuff” after that. Stuff I use to make my life easier.
• Mother Earth: Does it make your life easier?
• Me: Well, it mostly does.
• Mother Earth: If you sold most of your “stuff” would your life be harder?
• Me: Hmm… Now that I think about it… probably not.
• Mother Earth: Exactly. All that stuff pulls at you. It requires maintenance, storage, fixing, replacing… you get the idea. And for the stuff you really do need, I can guarantee you can buy it used locally for much cheaper and repair it if it does break. With Craigslist, Freecycle, and borrowing from neighbors – there is really no durable good you should have to buy new.  To free yourself from most of it will be liberating – those tribal folks only take what they can carry on their back when they move. Make that your goal.
• Me: I’ve got a lot of work to do.
• Mother Earth: Yes, but it should be rewarding work. Also, don’t get caught up in technological “advancement”. Yes, Blu-Ray looks great, but your DVD collection is just fine and would cost a boatload to replace. Your goal should be to make the existing technology last as long as it possibly can. And don’t buy any new technology. Remember the happiness thing we discussed. Happiness derived from these products is fleeting, at best.
• Me: Yeah… but cassette tapes sucked.
• Mother Earth: Yes. Yes, they did. Anyhow… you get the idea. Make sure that for everything you get rid of, you either sell it, give it away for free, or donate it. To do so means that someone else will get use from it and they in turn will hopefully be as responsible as you. This keep things out of the landfill. And whenever you purchase something envision that item ultimately ending up in the landfill or floating around in the ocean for some marine animal to choke on. Or what if you had to throw that stuff in your back yard? Just because it’s no longer in your presence does not mean it has disappeared or vanished into thin air. Waste “management” is the only thing keeping this consumer runaway train on the tracks as it blinds everyone to the reality of how wasteful we really are.
• Me: Yeah. That’s not a pleasant thought. But it is reality, I suppose.
• Mother Earth: Let’s talk about cars.
• Me: I sold mine and bike to work!
• Mother Earth: That’s great. But, you still have one that you share. And it’s getting old.
• Me: Indeed. 12 years and 180K miles. I’ve done my part, right?
• Mother Earth: No other invention has hurt me more.
• Me: Aye.
• Mother Earth: Stay close to work and keep riding your bike. Hopefully your wife can work closer to home and do the same someday. In the meantime, ride that piece of crap until it begs for mercy. Then fix it and ride it some more. And if you ABSOLUTELY (and I really mean absolutely) must replace it, replace it with the most fuel efficient used vehicle you can find.
• Me: Having no car might create some inconveniences.
• Mother Earth: $60 and increasing fuel-ups, insurance, maintenance, accidents, flat tires, and allocating 10%+ of your paycheck to leasing or paying it off creates a few inconveniences as well.
• Me: When you put it that way…
• Mother Earth: And finally – spread the words that we are sharing here today. Make it your lifestyle. Embrace it. And then go out and be a role model for others. Not only will you save a TON of money, but you will liberate yourself from stuff and be living a happier, healthier life. You will be joining a counter-consumer movement that is gaining strength. It’s a movement that will have to be adopted by everyone if your kind and every other species you share me with are to survive. Along the way you will encounter soul-less, heart-less, hateful f$%rs who claim no responsibility for their behavior. Be patient, teach, and stay on course.
• Me: I will start today. My apologies cannot express the amount of regret I have about how irresponsibly I have lived. Thank you for the life and the health you have given me. I owe it to you. We all do.

Consumers Need 12-Step Programs Too: My Counseling Session with Mother Earth is copyrighted by 20somethingfinance.com without consent to republish.

2010 bike sales were up 15% over 2009, and the number of bikes sold with wheel sizes over 20″ (adult bikes) was the second highest in the last 20 years.

A few years ago I decided to sell off my car. I started busing, then made the move to biking to work.

I bike a little over two miles each way to and from work from May through November annually now. I then take the local bus line in the winter months.

And I absolutely love it.

So much so, that no matter where I work in the future I will make sure that I live just a short, bike-friendly route away. Here are 5 reasons why I love it and you probably will too if you just give it a shot.

1. Low Maintenance

Many local bike shops teach free bike maintenance 101 courses. And once you’ve changed a flat tube, replaced your bike paid or done any other maintenance on your bike, anyone can do it. It pays to have a good local bike shop to buy from if you are buying new vs. buying from a big box store – they put them together better, usually have a number of free tuneups, and are much more knowledgeable.

2. It’s Great Exercise

You can burn anywhere from 35-70 calories per mile biking, depending on your weight and how fast you are biking. At my speeds, weight and distance, I figure that I’m burning about 250 calories per day just going to and from work. Calories burned in my car? Probably less than 5. Here is a biking calorie calculator to plug in your own metrics.

In the 15 minutes it takes me to do the trip, I’ve burned as many calories as I would if I went to the gym to run on a treadmill a few miles. And instead of an hour or more to go to the gym, I’ve done it in 15 minutes. And it was a hell of a lot more fun. Which brings me to my next point.

3. It’s Fun

Remember when the training wheels came off for the first time on your first real bike and you felt like you could fly? Me getting out there again and a mini obsession with the Tour de France (I’ve watched all 21 stages over the past few years – congrats Cadel!) – has led to me re-discovering that child-like love of biking that I missed for a lot of years in between.

If you haven’t ridden a bike in years, that fun factor will hit you again – I guarantee it.

4. It’s a Great Stress Relief

I have a high stress, high pressure day job. That stress builds up during the day and by the time I get home, I’m pretty wound up. I really look forward to getting on that bike and going as fast as I can to burn off that stress. By the time I get home, I’m re-invigorated. It works every day. I’m usually not that fun to be around in the winter when I don’t have this outlet.

5. It’s a HUGE Cost Savings

Minus $6 tubes when you get a flat or $6/pair brake pads, the ongoing costs of bike ownership are almost nothing. Start-up costs are comparitively dirt cheap too. If you don’t have a bike, you can get yourself a very nice one for a few monthly car payments or get yourself a “project” on Craigslist for $10 or sometimes free and fix it up.

I’ve talked a lot about the cost savings of biking vs. driving. I had a relatively inexpensive used car that got over 30 mpg, yet I was able to save over $5,000 a year in making the move to a bike. And I think that’s probably on the low end of what most would actually save when you factor in monthly payments, fuel, insurance, maintenance, and parking.

It’s one of those things that is hard to put a number on. However, I was recently made aware of an awesome biking vs. driving calculator so you can plug in your own numbers. And believe it or not, over a lifetime, you could literally save $1M or more (no joke) in making the move. That doesn’t surprise me – cars are the biggest cash drain of anything you could possibly own – even more than a home if you look at total cost.

Ride a Bike to Work Steps

Get out your bike, tune it up, and give it a shot. Try riding your bike to work once next week to see what you think. Then try twice a week, then an entire week. You might be surprised how much you don’t want to give it up. And if it works out – why not sell the car?

Bike to Work Discussion:

• Have you made the move to riding a bike to work?
• If so, how have you benefited?
• If not, what’s holding you back?

5 Reasons to Ditch the Car & Ride a Bike to Work is copyrighted by 20somethingfinance.com without consent to republish.

I mentioned that some states further offered additional tax incentives on top of the federal credit, which prompted a reader to ask for a list of those states.

It was a great question. Without the tax incentives these vehicles just don’t make sense economically. With them, there is a chance they could actually make you money back by saving hundreds, if not thousands a year on fuel and maintenance costs. And if you can also sleep better at night for the added environmental benefit, why wouldn’t you?

Let’s first take a look at the federal tax credit and which vehicles can claim it.

Federal Electric Vehicle Tax Credit

Electric vehicle and hybrid tax credits are fairly straightforward at the federal level.

For starters, hybrid tax credits are a thing of the past at the federal level.

Electric vehicles are eligible for a $7,500 tax credit, with a few caveats:

1. It must be purchased in or after 2010.
2. You must be the original owner.
3. To get the full credit, the vehicle must be within the first 200,000 of that  model sold (then phase-out occurs).

You can see a full list of requirements at the Fueleconomy.gov electric vehicle tax credit site.

Now, there are even more vehicles (7 total) that qualify for the federal tax credit (if you can find them):

• Nissan Leaf (2011): $32,780 MSRP
• Tesla Roadster (2008-2011): $109,000 MSRP (keep dreamin’)
• Wheego Life (2011): $32,995 MSRP
• Smart ForTwo (2011): $44,900 MSRP
• Think City (2011): $36,495 MSRP
• Coda Sedan (2011): $44,900 MSRP
• Mitsubishi i (2012): $29,125 MSRP

Electric Vehicle Tax Credits by State

Now comes the tricky part. Each state has slightly different electric and hybrid tax credits and incentives. I’ll highlight what I was able to dig up, but you will need to do some further digging and check with your state to make sure these incentives still apply. If your state is not listed, my unearthing came up empty. If I missed something in your state, let me know and I’ll add it.

California

Rebates are available through the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP) for the purchase or lease of qualified vehicles. Note that funds have currently been completely distributed. More funding has been requested and rebates of up to $2,500 for light-duty zero emission and plug-in hybrid vehicles has been proposed. You can get on a waiting list to be eligible if approved.

Colorado

Colorado offers up to an amazing $6,000 for plug-in electric drive vehicles and even offers credits on non-electric hybrids.

Georgia

A state of Georgia income tax credit is available for 20% of the cost to purchase or lease a new ZEV (zero emission vehicle), up to $5,000 per vehicle.

Hawaii

If you want an EV rebate in Hawaii, better act quick. Qualified Hawaii residents, businesses, government agencies, and non-profit agencies may apply for rebates for the price of EVs and EVSE through the Hawaii EV Ready Rebate Program. EV rebates are in the amount of 20% of the vehicle purchase price, up to $4,500. Rebates are available until funds are exhausted or September 30, 2011, whichever comes first.

Illinois

The Illinois Alternate Fuels Rebate Program provides a rebate for 80% of the incremental cost of purchasing an AFV including an EV, up to $4,000, or 80% of the cost of converting a conventional vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle.

Louisiana

Louisiana offers an income tax credit worth 50% of the cost premium of an electric car, plug-in hybrid, or converting a vehicle. A taxpayer may instead take a tax credit worth 10% of the cost of the motor vehicle or up to $3,000, whichever is less. Similar credits are available for charging equipment installation. (Reference House Bill 110, 2009, and Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:6035)

Maryland

All-electric (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are eligible for a tax credit of up to $2,000 against the imposed excise tax. The tax credit is limited to one vehicle per individual and 10 vehicles per business entity. The vehicle must be purchased between October 1, 2010, and July 1, 2013. Check out the Maryland DOT site for more.

Montana

A tax credit of up to $500 is available for electric car conversions. Yeah, that probably won’t make much of a dent.

New Jersey

Zero-emission vehicles sold, rented, or leased in New Jersey are exempt from state sales and use tax. This exemption is not applicable to partial zero emission vehicles, including hybrid electric vehicles. The New Jersey DOT has more info.

Oklahoma

For tax years beginning before January 1, 2015, a one-time income tax credit is available for 50% of the incremental cost of purchasing a new original equipment manufacturer AFV or converting a vehicle to operate on an alternative fuel. The state also provides a tax credit for 10% of the total vehicle cost, up to $1,500, if the incremental cost of a new AFV cannot be determined or when an AFV is resold, as long as a tax credit has not been previously taken on the vehicle. Equipment used for conversions must be new and must not have been previously used to modify or retrofit any vehicle. The alternative fuels eligible for the credit are compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, hydrogen fuel cell, and electricity. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are eligible through December 31, 2010, and only qualified electric vehicles placed into service before July 1, 2010, are eligible. For vehicles propelled by electricity only, the credit is based on the full purchase price of the vehicle. For vehicles equipped with an internal combustion engine and powered partially by electricity, such as a hybrid electric vehicle, the credit is based on the cost of the portion of the motor vehicle attributable to the propulsion of the vehicle by electricity.

South Carolina

South Carolina residents that claim the federal fuel cell, advanced lean burn, hybrid electric vehicle, or alternative fuel vehicle tax credit are eligible for a state income tax credit equal to 20% of the federal credit.

Utah

Utah provides an income tax credit of 35% of the vehicle purchase price or $2,500, whichever is less, for an original equipment manufactured compressed natural gas vehicle registered in Utah. Other new clean fuel vehicles that meet air quality and fuel economy standards may be eligible for a credit of up to $750. The state also provides a credit of 50% of the cost of converting a vehicle to operate using a clean fuel (including propane, natural gas, or electricity), up to a maximum of $2,500 per vehicle.

Washington

New passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles that are dedicated AFVs are exempt from the state motor vehicle sales and use taxes. Qualified vehicles must operate exclusively on natural gas, propane, hydrogen, or electricity.

West Virginia

West Virginia (surprisingly) just enacted some of the best AFV incentives in the country. Effective July 1, 2011, an income tax credit is available to eligible taxpayers who convert a vehicle to operate exclusively on an alternative fuel or purchase a new original equipment manufacturer dedicated or bi-fuel AFV. The value of the tax credit is 35% of the vehicle purchase price or 50% of the vehicle conversion cost, up to $7,500 for vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) up to 26,000 pounds (lbs.) and up to $25,000 for vehicles with a GVWR greater than or equal to 26,000 lbs. For the purpose of this tax credit, a qualified AFV operates on fuel including natural gas, propane, electricity, hydrogen, and coal-derived liquid fuels. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are also eligible.

Let me know if I missed anything!

Electric Vehicle Tax Credit Discussion:

If you live in one of these states are these incentives, matched with the federal credit enough to make you consider an electric vehicle purchase?

Related Posts:

• Chevy Volt Vs. Nissan Leaf
• 2012 Energy Tax Credit
• Tesla Roadster
• Who Keeps Killing the Electric Car?

Electric & Hybrid Tax Credits by State is copyrighted by 20somethingfinance.com without consent to republish.

Summer is here. Time to rev up the air conditioning units. Or is it?

Americans are addicted to AC. We DEMAND it in our homes, our offices, our shopping malls, our cars.

According the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, about two-thirds of U.S. homes (65 percent) have central air-conditioning and another 21 percent have window units – new units are more likely to have central air-conditioning (89 percent). By contrast, only 17% of U.S. homes had central A/C in 1973 and 30% contained window units.

Admittedly, I’ve become a bit spoiled when it comes to air conditioning. I have a very hard time sleeping comfortably unless it’s about 72 degrees or less.

Ever since I was about 10 years old, I have lived with air conditioning. The one exception was in college when I was in the dorms for two miserably hot years.

But an article in the New York Times that got me thinking a bit about our wasteful ways, my wasteful ways – “Bringing in the Big Fans“.

The Cost of Air Conditioning Vs. Fans

According to the article:

• a good window AC unit runs on 1.2 kilowatts and costs 14 cents an hour to run
• a three-ton central air unit (a common cooling system), runs on about 3 kilowatts and costs about 36 cents an hour to run
• a good ceiling fan? It draws only 30 watts to run, costing about 1 cent per three hours of use

One penny for every three hours?!

I knew that fans used less energy than AC units, but to use less than 1% of the energy? Hmmm….. maybe I need to re-think my love for air conditioning.

Running the Cost Figures Over a Month

Putting these hourly costs into more practical terms made sense, so I decided to run the math. If you assume that your unit is running half of the day during summer months,

• a window AC unit would cost $50.40 per month
• a central AC unit would cost $129.60 per month
• each ceiling fan would cost $1.20 per month

I could potentially be saving over $128 per month by putting up a ceiling fan in my bedroom and weening myself off of AC? Amazing!

Heck, even just installing a window unit in my room so that I can sleep well (the biggest reason I’m addicted to AC in the summer) would save me $78 per month, probably more if I only use it at night.

Additional Benefits to Getting Rid of AC

I love AC, don’t get me wrong. But lately I have been opening the windows more often and going without. I like the outdoor sounds and really like the fresh air.

And when you consider that 25% of all electricity consumed at home in the U.S. is to power AC units and that most of that electricity is coming from carbon-rich coal, maybe it’s time we re-thought our love for AC. It’s hard to justify AC if you call yourself an environmental steward.

Whether you switch to a ceiling fan, a window unit, a whole house fan, or some combination of, you may want to start thinking about your love of air conditioning. I will. Stay tuned.

Keeping Cool Discussion:

• How do you keep yourself cool, especially at night?
• Have you switched from AC to another method of staying cool? What did you do?

Related Posts:

• How to Cool Down your Heating Bill
• 7 Ways to Cut your Heating & Cooling Bill
• 2011 Energy Tax Credits

The Cost of Air Conditioning Vs. a Fan: Is it Time to Re-Think Our Addiction to AC? is copyrighted by 20somethingfinance.com without consent to republish.

Having used both push reel mowers and gasoline powered mowers, the two offer completely different experiences. In fact, I just upgraded my reel mower to a Fiskars Momentum.

I can tell you, without hesitation, I prefer the push reel mower. Here are 5 great benefits that push reel mowers have over gas powered mowers (as well as some caveats to be aware of if you make the switch).

1. Push Reel Mowers are Cheaper than Gas Powered

Push reel mowers range in price from $80 to $200. Most are below $125. Gas powered mowers are generally $200+ and some of the more advanced push models can be as pricey as $500.

But initial price is not where the costs end. With gasoline over $4 a gallon, you can expect to pay a significant amount every year for fuel. You will also have to pay for oil to change the oil.

Not only that, but gas-powered mowers usually don’t last as long as reel mowers. Push reel are cheap due to their simplicity. A lot can go wrong with a gas-powered mower, and once the engine goes, you need to replace it. The only maintenance cost with a push reel is sharpening it every few years, which you can often times do at home with a $15 kit. There is not much that can go wrong with them.

2. Push Reel Mowers are MUCH More Environmentally Friendly

Think of the positive environmental impact that would result in everyone driving a bike to and from work vs. driving a Hummer. Everyone switching from a gas-powered mower to a push reel would have no less of an impact.

According to the EPA, gas-powered lawn mowers produce equivalent pollution in one hour of use as the average car does in 200 miles. That’s pretty crazy when you think about it. That’s about 3 times as much pollution as a car driving on the highway for 3 hours. All from that one little engine.

On top of that, the EPA estimates that 17 million gallons of fuel are spilled each year while refueling lawn equipment. That’s more than all the oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez. Not only does this result in groundwater contamination, but spilled fuel evaporates into the air and volatile organic compounds produce smog-forming ozone when combined with heat and sunlight.

3. Reel Mowers Require Less Maintenance than a Gas Mower

I alluded to maintenance with price, but there’s also a time saving component that goes into it. No driving to the gas station and back when you run out of gas. No oil changes, and no spark plug changing. You may have to sharpen the blades every few years with a push reel, but you have to sharpen or change blades on gas mowers as well.

Push reel mowers are simpler and easier to maintain.

They also fit in a garage or shed much more easily than a gas powered mower.

4. Reel Mowers Offer Peace and Quiet

With a push reel mower you can mow whenever you want without disturbing the neighbors. That includes morning or night when it’s typically cooler and healthier for you and the grass.

You can hear birds singing and neighbors when they walk by to say hi. And you don’t feel like that tingling in your arms like they have just been working a jackhammer.

Using a push reel mower is a pleasant and calming experience. Just what outdoor gardening should be.

5. The Cool Factor

There is not a neighbor that has walked by my house who uses a gas-powered mower that doesn’t stop to ask me questions with curiosity. First, they notice how well the mower cuts. Then they appreciate how quiet and peaceful the experience looks in comparison to a gas mower experience. Then they realize how much healthier it is for them and their lawn.

Somewhere along the way, Americans were convinced that gas-powered mowers were superior to push reel. Maybe they were at one point. But push reel mowers are a lot more advanced these days. It only takes a few trendsetters in a neighborhood to make the whole neighborhood realize it – cutting down the air, ground, and noise pollution for everyone. Why not be the trendsetter?

Reel Mower Caveats

I’ve painted a pretty rosy picture here, but there are a few things you should be aware of, if you are going to make the move to a push reel mower.

- Find a mower that cuts up to 3 inches or more. I just recently decided to move from a Brill push reel mower to the new Fiskars reel mower (seen to the right), which allows you to cut up to 4 inches. The Brill, and many other reel mowers only let you cut up to 2 inches max. I like to grow my grass longer so that I don’t have to water it as much. It’s much healthier for your lawn.

- You can’t let the grass get too long, particularly if yours cuts up to a short max length. Otherwise it becomes difficult to mow. I’ve also heard that some weeds and very hardy grass varieties are very difficult to mow with a push reel. It’s something to be aware of. You may want to test out a neighbors push reel on your grass before buying (if their blades are sharp).

- Read reviews pretty thoroughly. Not all reel mowers are made made the same. Scotts, American, and Fiskars have the best reviews.

- You may have to go over some areas twice. Some people tout this as a big negative with push reels. I don’t think it is at all. We’ve probably all pushed a gas-powered mower at one time or another. It’s a hellish experience. Especially if you have hills. Pushing a 150 lb. beast up a 45 degree incline or even on flat ground is not easy. So from an energy exertion standpoint, you’re probably break even. As long as you keep your blades sharp, that is (very important).

Push Reel vs. Gas Mower Discussion:

• Have you made the move to a push reel mower?
• What model did you purchase and what where your thoughts on the experience?
• Why are you sticking with a gas powered mower?

Related Posts:

• The True Cost of Bottled Water
• Urban Homesteading Intro
• Standby Power Appliance List
• Motor Scooter Savings Vs. a Car

5 Reasons to Switch to a Reel Mower is copyrighted by 20somethingfinance.com without consent to republish.

I feel so strongly about this topic that I’ve written an entire eco-friendly savings series in the hopes that at least a few of you out there will latch on to an idea and do your own small part to reduce your impact on the planet.

Earth Day is April 22. This year, for Earth Day, I wanted to share an idea that I heard for the first time this year. I can’t take credit for this brilliant idea, someone at my workplace is orchestrating it. Whether they devised it or heard about it elsewhere doesn’t really matter. I thought I’d pay it forward in the hopes that a few of you out there give it a shot.

Earth Day Barter Exchange

Certainly, you can iterate off this basic structure and make it your own, but hopefully this provides a good framework:

1. Everyone brings in 5 items to whomever is orchestrating the event, the week of.
2. Each item gets a coupon. You could even classify items on a point scale by their perceived value.
3. Save an hour or two for the exchange on Earth Day.
4. People come in, use their coupons to purchase stuff they will use.
5. Anything that doesn’t get purchased gets donated to a local charity or two.
6. Drug people on the way out and turn them into tree-hugging hippie warriors.

You could also do other fun things like:

• Make environmentally friendly vegetarian and organic foods and have a potluck.
• Have local environmentally focused charities come in to speak and share their mission.
• Have battery, light bulb, and electronic recycling stations.
• Run an energy savings workshop.

OK, they sound fun to me…

Why I Love this Idea

If you haven’t seen the Story of Stuff before, give it a watch. Our consumer driven buy, throw out, repeat cycle is not only irresponsible and horrible for the planet, but it’s a huge drain on our finances and on our mental psyche. Recycling is a step in the right direction, but the biggest impact is through reusing and reducing your overall usage in the first place.

Having an event that everyone can get excited about and freely share your things with others and charity is a great way to bring awareness to re-using things. After all, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. People love to find a good deal (and there’s no better deal than free).

It’s also a great community and team-building event that people can unite over. You could do it at work, in your neighborhood, at your place of worship, with friends, or anywhere else you hang out.

Earth Day Discussion:

• What do you plan to do this Earth Day to have a positive impact or reduce your existing impact?
• Have you done something like this at work or elsewhere before?

Related Posts:

• Best Bartering Websites
• Craigslist Cars
• 3 Simplistic Strategies for Getting Rid of Clutter
• My Personal Quest to De-Commercialize the Holidays
• How to Donate your Car to Charity

How to Run an Awesome Barter Exchange for Earth Day is copyrighted by 20somethingfinance.com without consent to republish.

When Tom Harrison decided to have an energy audit performed on his aging suburban home, he knew he would probably find a few leaks and other problem spots here and there. What he didn’t know was just how costly those problems were, and how much it would impact his utility bill to make simple changes to fix them.

Among the audit’s findings: An air leak in the joint between the floor and the baseboard, A rickety attic door that was causing major heat loss through the uninsulated attic, and framing gaps in the basement that leaked cold air into the house. With the help of some infrared photography and a lot of elbow grease, Tom has managed to cut his heating bill in half!

Here’s how he did it:

First, Tom sealed cracks and gaps, had cellulose insulation blown in the areas where it was deficient, and replaced old weather stripping. Then he had a follow up energy audit to assess his progress. “You can almost feel the increased warmth and comfort of the house where blue spots turned to red on the infrared images,” he said. The photos below illustrate one of the problem spots, both to the naked eye and to the infrared camera. Heat shows up as red, cold as blue. Tom’s baseboard was clearly leaking cold air into the house. (You can read more details and see more photos at Tom’s blog).

The solution? A bead of caulk. Through basic fixes like caulking, spray-on foam insulation, and weather stripping, Tom managed to seal up his home from air leaks. He says that simple air sealing measures reduced his home’s air infiltration from 0.87 NACH (natural air changes per hour) during the heating season to 0.42 NACH.

All told, Tom spent about $1175 on his do-it-yourself fixes, and is saving about $1000 per year on utilities. In other words, his efforts paid for themselves in about one year, and are pure profit every month after. Not a bad return on investment! Here are some lessons than you can apply to earn significant savings on your heat bill.

Get an Energy Audit!

The first step to taking a whole-house energy efficiency approach is to find out which parts of your house use the most energy. A home energy audit will pinpoint those areas and suggest the most effective measures for cutting your energy costs. You can conduct a simple home energy audit yourself, contact your local utility, or call an independent energy auditor for a more comprehensive examination.

For more information about home energy audits, including free tools and calculators, visit www.energysavers.gov

It’s the Little Things that Count

As Tom discovered, plugging cracks and other air leaks can pay off big time. A roll of weather-stripping, a tube of caulk and a can of spray-foam insulation can do wonders in making your home more efficient. Check for holes or cracks around your walls, ceilings, windows, doors, light and plumbing fixtures, switches, and electrical outlets that can leak air into or out of your home. Seal and plug any visible cracks you find.

Insulate your Home

Does your home have enough insulation, or are you spending your hard-earned money to heat and cool the outdoors? According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you should add insulation to your house when:

• You have an older home and haven’t added insulation. Only 20% of homes built before 1980 are well insulated.
• You are uncomfortably cold in the winter or hot in the summer—adding insulation creates a more uniform temperature and increases comfort.
• You build a new home, addition, or install new siding or roofing.
• You pay high energy bills compared to similar homes.
• You are bothered by noise from outside—insulation muffles sound.

Adding insulation in the areas shown in the picture below may be the best way to improve your home’s energy efficiency. Insulate either the attic floor or under the roof. Check with a contractor about crawl space or basement insulation.

Where to Insulate. Source: US Department of Energy

Maintain your equipment

By properly maintaining your heating and cooling equipment, you can save electricity and prevent future problems and unwanted costs. Inspect, clean, or change air filters once a month in your central air conditioner, furnace, and/or heat pump. A dirty filter can increase energy costs and damage your equipment, leading to early failure.

Also, keep your cooling and heating system at peak performance by having a contractor do annual pre-season check-ups. Contractors get busy once summer and winter come, so it’s best to check the cooling system in the spring and the heating system in the fall. To remember, you might plan the check-ups around the time changes in the spring and fall.

Get a Programmable Thermostat

You can save as much as 10% a year on your heating and cooling bills by simply turning your thermostat back 10% to 15% for 8 hours. You can do this automatically by installing an automatic setback or programmable thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat, you can adjust the times you turn on the heating or air-conditioning according to a preset schedule. As a result, the equipment doesn’t operate as much when you are asleep or when the house is not occupied.

Programmable thermostats can store and repeat multiple daily settings (six or more temperature settings a day) that you can manually override without affecting the rest of the daily or weekly program. For example, if nobody is home between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., you can set the thermostat so that it will keep the house a few degrees warmer or cooler during those hours—and save you money!

In Summary…

Don’t let leaks and poor insulation rob you of your hard earned cash. Get an energy audit and a programmable thermostat, start insulating and plugging cracks, and watch your bills begin to drop. You’ll thank yourself later.

Add-On Tips from G.E.

• Check with your local utility to see if they offer any free ‘energy savings pack’. For filling out a home energy survey online, mine sent me $25 worth of free CFL’s, a showerhead, caulk, and some other energy saving goodies.
• Check out my post on the 2012 Energy Tax Credit – there are still some tax savings to be had in home improvements that save energy.

Heating Bill Discussion:

• Have you had an energy audit done for your living space? Was your utility company offering it free or at a discount?
• How much money did you save as a result of an energy audit?
• How were you able to cut your heating bill?

Related Posts:

• Standby Power Appliances List
• 7 Ways to Save Water
• 7 Ways to Cut your Heating & Cooling Bills

5 Tips to Help you Cool Down your Heating Bill is copyrighted by 20somethingfinance.com without consent to republish.

There is a home Energy Tax Credit this year, it’s just not half what it used to be. Literally. The 2009 and 2010 Energy Tax Credits were very generous as they were part of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, and were created to help spur the economy through people making home upgrades to get the credits. These tax credits were actually extended as part of the Obama tax cut deal, but now that we’ve ‘recovered’, the generosity trails off a bit in 2011. Here are the details:

• The 2011 Energy Tax Credit amount: drops to 10% of a project and $500 max. For comparison, last year’s credit capped out at 30% of a project up to a max of $1,500.
• Energy Star window tax credit: up to $200 maximum.
• Water heater tax credit (includes electric, natural gas, propane, or oil): up to $300 maximum.
• Air conditioner tax credit: up to $300 maximum.
• Insulation, doors, and roof credits: up to the $500 cap.
• Furnace tax credit (includes natural gas, propane, oil, or hot water): $150 maximum. Efficiency must be 95% (up from 90% before the extension).

The big kicker: If you’ve already taken advantage of the Energy Tax Credit, whatever you claimed in the past counts against the $500 in 2011.

Before you buy anything, make sure your product qualifies for the credit and verify how much credit you will receive.

30% Energy Tax Credits Through 2016

While the energy tax credits for most common house projects have lost their luster a bit, those with big investment plans can still celebrate. There is still a 30% tax credit with no maximum limit for the following installations:

• geothermal heat pumps
• solar energy systems
• small wind turbines
• fuel cells ($500 max limit)

For more on these tax credits, check out my previous Energy Tax Credit post. Also, check out the EnergyStar Energy Tax Credit site.

Related Posts:

• 2011 Tax Rate Brackets
• 2011 Child Tax Credit
• 2012 Energy Tax Credit

Energy Tax Credits Extended but Reduced in 2011 is copyrighted by 20somethingfinance.com without consent to republish.